Lubricator



(No M0d61.) Y

J- D. FITZGERALD,

LUBRICATOR'.

No. 455,450. Patented Aug, 25, 1891.

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PATENT JAMES D. FITZGERALD,

OF SELMA, ALABAMA.

LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,450, dated August 25, 1891.

Serial No. 388,634. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES D. FITZGERALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Selma, inthe county of Dallas and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to means for oiling or lubricating journal and kother bearings and it is especially designed to provide an improved pressure system whereby a series of connected oil-cups located at various points throughout a building or machine-shop may be simultaneouslycaused to forciblydischarge their contents into or upon their respective cups being controlled and operated from a single point, as will be more fullyhereinafter shown 3 also, to provide an improved and simple oil-cup to operate in connection with the said system.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of one form of my apparatus or system, and Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view of one of my improved cups; Fig. 3, a similar view of a modification 0f the cups.

Referring to the drawings by letter, ct designates a compressed-air reservoir suitably mounted and provided with suitable valved b an oil-tank connected to the said compressedair reservoir by a valved pipe and provided with a suit-able blow-off cock h'. The main oil-supply pipe c leads out of this oil-tank, and is extended to wherever the bearings may be located, this pipe being provided with a suitable cock c to shut off the supply of oil to the bearings whenever desired. Branch pipes c connect the main supply-pipe toy the oilcups d, these branch pipes also being valved, so that any one of the cups may be cut off from the supply-pipe without interfering with the operation of the others.

The cups are each constructed as follows: A vertical cylinder d. has formed or screwed on its upper end a head or cap d', and into a central tubular projection formed on this head and leading into the cylinder is screwed the end of the oil-pipe c. Screwed upon the lower end of the cylinder is a head or cap e, pro-A vided with a central tubular extension or supplemental cylinder e', which is provided at its lower end with external screw-threads to enable the cups to be attached to the bearing in the usual manner. Vorking in the upper cylinder d" is a piston h, which is kept normallypressed upward against the upper head by a helical springj, interposed between it and the lower cap. Connected to the upper piston by a stem g is a smaller piston h', Which works in the lower cylinder e', this piston when in its normal position resting near and closing the upper end of its cylinder. Formed in theinterior of the cylinder r and head d are one or more grooves or ports f, which permit the infiowing oil to pass freely around the upper piston when the same is in its normal position and completely fill the cylinder of the cup, the lower piston normally preventing the oil entering the lower cylinder or tube. A longitudinal oil port or passage e is formed in the wall of the lowerylinder or tube and connects at its upper end with the interior of the same a little below or even with the piston h', the lower end of the port discharging into the bearings. Vhen the oil from the tank islet into the cups through the pipes, it flows around the upper pistons through the passages f and iills the cup-cylinders, and when it is desired to lubricate the bearings the operator simply lets a supply of compressed air from the reservoir into the oil-tank, whereupon the pressure upon the oil in the same andl the connected pipes will simultaneously depress the spring-pressed pistons in the cups. In descending, as soon as the upper piston has passed the lower ends of the oil-passages f, the supply of oil to the cup-cylinder is cut off, as is evident, and simultaneously with or a little previous to the cutting off of the supply of oil to the cupcylinder the lower piston passes the oil-discharging port e. Then by continuing the pressure of oil upon the upper piston all or any desired amount of the oil in the cups below the same may be forced Vout through the discharge-ports into or upon the bearings to be lubricated. lVlien the air-pressure upon the oil in the tank is removed by means of its blow-off cock b or otherwise, the pistons arel pressed back to their normal positions and the cup-cylinders again fill with oil, ready for another operation.

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It is obvious that am not confined to compressed air as ay source of pressure, inasmuch as other luidsdsuch as steam-may be used with perhaps equal advantage, or an ordinary hand-pump may be employed to exert the required pressure. 4

The modification shown in Fig. 3 may be employed without departing from the invention in the least. It will be observed that by 1o this form of device the same result maybe accomplished without connecting the pistons together bythe stem g, the lower piston h being kept normally pressed up against an interior shoulder h on the upper end of its cylinder by a springy", supported upon a ring e4, screwed in the lower end of the cylinder.

In this device the oil confined between the two pistons will serve as a medium for depressing thelower piston simultaneously with 2o the upper one. In this view, also, it will be observed,- a longitudinal groove ef in the lower cylinder is employed as a dischargepassage instead of the passage e, (shown in Fig. 2,) which is a hole formed in the wall of the cylinder and nearly extending the full length thereof. It is preferred to make the upper cylinder and piston larger than the lower cylinder and piston, as shown in Fig. 2; but this is not altogether essential to the ingo vention. Vhen the pistons are rigidly connected, as in Fig. 2, and it is desired to forcibly discharge the oil into the bearings, it is necessary that the upper cylinder be the larger; but when they are not rigidly connected, as in Fig. 3, their relative size is immaterial so far as the operation is concerned. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- Y 4o 1. The combination of an oil-tank, means for exerting a pressure upon the oil therein, an oil-supply pipe leading from the oil-tank, oil-cups connected to bearings, branch pipes connecting the inlet ends of the oil-cups to the main supply-pipe, and means in each of the cups for discharging oil upon thebearings, said means being operated by the pressure exerted upon the oil in the tank, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of an oil-tank, means 5o for exerting a pressure upon the oil in said tank, an oil -supply pipe leading from the tank, oil-cups connected to the supply-pipes and bearings, said cups each consisting of two communicating cylinders, apiston worlging 55 in each cylinder and normally closing their; let ends of the same, an oil-passage leading around the upper piston, and a discharge-passage communicating with the lower cylinder at a point below the upper side of the lower 6o piston, as and for the purpose described..

3. In an oil-cup, the combination oftwo cylinders connected to each other,- connected pistons working in these cylinders, means for normally pressing the pistons toward the inlet ends of their cylinders, an oil-passage f, leading. around the upper piston, and a discharge-passage e, communicating with the lower cylinder at a point below its upper side,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 7o

4. The combination, in an oil-cup, of two communicating cylinders connected together, a piston working in each of these cylinders and normally closing the inlet ends of the same, an oil-passage leading around the upper piston, a discharge-passage communicating with the lower cylinder at a point below the upper side of the lower cylinder, and means for depressing the pistons, whereby oil may be forcibly discharged upon the bear- 8o ing to which the cups are attached, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence ot' two witnesses. l n

Y JAMES D. FITZGERALD. Witnesses:

H. Q. SHELLEY, E. C. MELVIN. 

